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Late word from the West Coast on Thursday is that Orlando Portale, chief innovation officer of Palomar Health in San Diego County, Calif., for the past seven years, is leaving at the end of June.

According to a quick e-mail from Portale, “I’m going to focus on advising health technology companies, private equity firms and healthcare organizations.” He already has dabbled in some of those areas, helping Palomar start up Glassomics, which he calls the world’s first incubator for healthcare applications and technology that run on wearable computers, including Google Glass.

Qualcomm Life provided an operating grant to Glassomics, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Portale ends up at that San Diego-based venture. Then again, Portale has a deep résumé, including senior positions at the former Sun Microsystems, health insurer WellPoint and government IT contractor Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC). I’m sure he will have plenty of opportunities coming his way in short order.

In an e-mail to Portale — and copied to executives and board members — Palomar CEO Michael Covert said: “I want to personally thank you for everything that you have done for Palomar Health. Your efforts have put us on the map in the world of innovation and technology. We had a vision of what we could be and you helped to make it a reality. I am forever in your debt. Please let me know if I can be of support or help to you in the future. … I wish you only the best. Let us stay in touch as your career moves forward.”

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